Comment: Allan Park Cres a shining example of taking a stand

IF ever an example was needed of the power of community action, our story today on the Allan Park development is it.

Allan Park Crescent protesters. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Developers wanted to bulldoze a house and replace it with an access road leading to a new care home.

Residents were immediately up in arms over the plan and warned of a dangerous increase in traffic.

And rather than grumbling and shrugging their shoulders, they were determined to do something about it.

Banding together, they constructed clear arguments against the development and lodged official protests with the city council.

The strength of feeling in the local community could not be ignored and the council duly rejected the blueprints.

That decision has now been upheld by the Scottish Government Reporter after the developer appealed the decision.

It has been hailed as a “victory for common sense”.

What it is, is a victory for community action.

Alan Dickson of Craiglockhart Community Council put it best when he said: “To me, it’s an example of how local people can take a stand on a justifiable issue.

“It just shows that public activism, and democracy in the case of the elected members, can be successful.”

With contentious planning applications set to be submitted across the city as developers take advantage of the delays in finalising the city’s Local Plan, this is the sort of community action which we could be seeing a lot more of in the future.

The Allan Park residents are a shining example to communities across the city who may soon be battling to protect areas of green belt in their own backyards.

If something is wrong, out of keeping with the area or poses a safety risk, then stand up and do something about it.

Development has to happen across Edinburgh, but not at all costs.